Ariel Again
by Kitty O
Summary: Tumblr prompt she-was-a-rose: "Jayne has a character-defining moment." Oneshot.


Jayne hadn't particularly thought too much about it, but when River said it, it was suddenly clear as day.

"No one on the ship approves of you."

Jayne stopped what he was doing (cleaning Vera lovingly) and stared at River. She was a bit crazy, still, but sometimes she'd stop in her flowing dress like a plant taking root, and she'd said something in that voice, and you'd just hear her right down to your soul. She was doing that now. She was in the middle of the kitchen, staring at him.

"What?" Jayne asked.

"Serenity doesn't really approve of you either."

Jayne glared at her. "Look, Loony, I don't need anyone's approval, so why don't you just git back to your lily-faced…"

"You need your mother's approval."

Jayne stood up, but just then, Simon came stumbling in, looking as bumbling as ever, but to Jayne, at the moment, he was a savior.

"Get Crazy here out of my sight," Jayne snapped at Simon.

"River, what did you do?" Simon asked. Jayne had half-expected him to turn on his least-favorite crewmate for calling River Crazy, not realizing that his face had gone white.

"He doesn't like admitting that people don't approve of him."

Simon cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, River, I don't think he's really all that upset about that… Look, we should go." He went to take her arm.

"You'd better, cuz I'm just about ready to see how good those assassin skills are against me," Jayne growled, stroking Vera.

"You did that, I'd throw you out the cargo bay doors," Mal announced calmly, strolling in. "Sit down, Jayne."

Jayne obeyed. Jayne always obeyed Mal, even though it was hard sometimes. And ever since Wash nearly died during the Miranda incident, his temper with Jayne had been especially short. Maybe he was just feeling more defensive of the Tams, who Jayne refused to like. Or maybe Jayne was imagining things, as Inara said when he grumbled in her general direction.

"We're landing in a few minutes," Mal said, and looked at River. "Albatross, Wash is gonna need your help."

"Love," River said. "Love keeps her flying." And with that, she was gone.

"I thought you said she was gonna be lucid from now on," Jayne said to Simon.

"No, I never said –"

"Doctor," Mal said, waving as though to tell him it wasn't worth it. Or maybe he was afraid Simon would _talk_. No one ever understood Simon when he talked, and the only people who really liked it were Kaylee and River. And River, only sometimes.

"Remember, we've got limited time and a lot of money to lose," Mal said to Jayne. "And two possible directions. So we're splitting up, and you've got River. Is that gonna be a problem?"

"What?" Simon cried. "No, I'll go too, then."

"You're useless. Besides, you need to stay with Wash."

"If I'm useless," Simon said, with his usual bland irritation, "then why does Wash need me?"

"So someone can hold him up while he shoots if someone were to attack while we were gone," Mal replied mock-nicely, and Jayne grinned.

"Why can't you go with River, and Zoe with Jayne?" Simon asked.

"I work better with Zoe," Mal said with a shrug.

"I don't trust him with my sister," Simon said.

"She ain't that pretty," Jayne inserted, and Simon began to look positively nauseated.

"Trust me," Mal said, shooting a look at Jayne. "I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt your sister."

"Ariel," responded Simon.

"That's how I know," said Mal, and left the room.

Simon dedicated three seconds to hating the captain, and then he, too, left the room.

Jayne picked up Vera.

* * *

"You don't really hate me very much," River commented as she and Jayne took their map and went off in pursuit of buried treasure an hour later.

"Stay outta my head," Jayne said tersely, but River continued on her way without even flinching. She was practically dancing around in the sand, dragging her bare feet until they scraped in a satisfying melody. Jayne held his weapons tighter and looked around the blue sky. He didn't, of course, actually hate River. She had saved all of their lives not too long ago. There had been a time, of course – a time where she was a little cute, but a lot dangerous, and _the money was too good. _

But River was really becoming a part of the team. And the team was a part of Mal. Jayne wouldn't betray Serenity, because the ship was sort of like family. Jayne's own family was a bit odd, but…

"Your little siblings love you," River said to the sky.

"Shut up," he snapped wearily.

No, River wasn't so bad. Jayne might not be a good man, but he was a praying man, and that's sort of what River felt like. (At this point he didn't care that she could hear his thoughts. There wasn't much point in trying to hide them. But, to perhaps stave her off, he pictured her naked, hoping that would make her go away.) River felt a little like praying. She was pale-faced and flowing, deep rooted and hard to understand and somewhat lyrical, and Jayne didn't mind having her around.

Now, her brother, on the other hand – _he_ could go straight to hell.

"Oh, we're about to be attacked."

"Shut – what?"

And then, predictably, they were attacked.

It was a brief struggle, which Jayne found enraging. But two of them got him from behind, and even though he threw one of them so hard that the man's neck snapped on the ground, the other managed to get him behind the knee with a kick that had Jayne down. Then there were more, and wouldn't you know it, River's powers seemed to be turned off today. Jayne shot two. River bit one. Jayne held onto his guns – lost a grenade – kicked a man – got punched in the face.

When Jayne came back up again, it was to an eyeful – River on her knees, with her hair solidly clenched in a large woman's grasp. There was a gun to her head, but River looked strangely unconcerned. La-la land, Jayne thought. He noticed a red stain underneath her knees, though.

"Alright," snarled the woman, who was camouflaged head-to-toe, with a hat to match her outfit and two guns strapped to her sides. Jayne wondered where the one in her hands was supposed to be stowed – but then, he had three hidden on him right now. "Here's how it's gonna go. You hand me that gun, and let my men take the remainders of your weapons off of you, and your little friend doesn't lose her head."

"You're mistaken," Jayne said, despite the fact that diplomacy and lies were not his strong point. "We don't have anything of value."

"I saw the map, and I know it might lead to treasure, so shut up and give me the gun," the woman said.

"I could shoot you," Jayne replied.

"Not before I shot your little friend," said the woman.

Now, Jayne was in a spot. The thought of losing the treasure was of course upsetting. The thought of losing Vera? Devastating. The silence stretched on, and the woman looked impatient. Jayne swallowed. Frankly, he didn't care for the idea of being responsible for losing River, either.

_Serenity doesn't approve of you._

Jayne pondered.

"Come on, time's up," snapped the woman. "Give me the gun."

Jayne looked up at her with hooded eyes and snarled, "No." Then he went to fire, but he was too slow, and she already had her gun cocked and ready. The sound of several shots filled the air, but all were intended for the same target – the little genius's brain.

_Squish, _as River would say.

The first one slammed her head to the side, and blood sprayed out. Jayne only stared as one took out most of the girl's nose, shattering it entirely. Brain touched the ground. Blood was on the woman's leg. River was falling, falling deeply into sleep where she wouldn't wake up. Off to meet the Shepherd again, tear up his Bible and declare she'd known better than to believe the world could have been created by someone who actually cared. _She was falling into her own footprints in the sand –_

"I'm waiting," barked the woman, dragging Jayne back to reality, and he stared up from his knees where River was being held. The woman was still waiting for his reply.

Jayne couldn't breathe when he handed over Vera. His face held all the reverence of a man losing his beloved. He felt hands rummaging, finding all his weapons. River was still staring at him, her eyes now wide from witnessing his mental scenario.

"The map," the woman said.

Jayne cursed at her in Chinese when he gave it to her.

"Should we fire?" one of the men asked.

The woman shook her head. "They've got friends about, and if they don't return home, the crew will come looking."

"My brother would revenge my death," River said to the woman, who was still holding her hair. "He's so scary around me, but never to me. I think I've killed a lot more, but I think he'd mean it more. He's a pirate. A refugee. A cannibal." River smiled gently, remembering many years in a mansion when Simon pretending to be exactly those things to amuse her.

The woman released her slowly. "Plus," she told her men, "I'd hate to shoot someone who was moon-happy."

"Aw, shucks," Jayne was complaining as they began to walk away. "Oh, damn." He staggered to his feet, leaving River on hers. He swore in Chinese again. He threw a clod of dirt after their attackers. "I'm having Wash fly after them. I'm getting Vera back. I'll kill them. I'll kill 'em all." He sighed and turned to River. "We'd better hope the captain and Zoe found that treasure, Loony. What happened to your magic kicking?"

"I think my leg is shot," River said.

Jayne sighed and cursed some more. "Well, we need to get back." He studied her, and at last seemed to make up his mind. "Don't squirm," he ordered as he scooped her up in his arms, taking care not to jolt her too much. She was really only tiny.

"You might have saved my life," River said, who felt it appropriate to snuggle her head into his shoulder. Jayne didn't share her views, but nor did he bring it up.

"Definitely did," Jayne said as he started back towards the ship. This would take a while.

"You're a hero. But you lost Vera."

Jayne didn't respond. He thought he might cry. He was getting Vera back, though. Wash was flying over there, and he was getting Vera back. He kept telling himself that.

"Jayne?" River said after a moment.

"Hm."

"I knew you didn't hate me," River said.

"Shut up, Crazy," Jayne said.


End file.
